Protests were held at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan and Wrexham Maelor, Llandrindod and Newtown in Mid Wales and across Wales.

Ambulance transport driver Angela Roberts, of Colwyn Bay, said: “I have a family like everybody else and lots of bills and everything is going up in price.

"We now have to think about what journeys we take to travel to see family. Every penny helps.”

Unison’s Dawn Bowden said: “We are calling on all our members working in the health service in Wales to publicly protest for health workers to be awarded a decent pay rise.

"Our members are among those hit hard by the state of the economy, the rise in the cost of food and fuel, coupled with housing and benefit cuts.

“They have suffered five years of pay restraint and they deserve a decent pay rise.

“We understand the huge financial challenges that the Welsh Government are suffering as a result of the UK coalition’s funding cuts and we will continue to challenge austerity program being driven from Westminster.

“So, we are calling on the Welsh Government to commit to a fairer deal for health workers than that being proposed by the UK government.”